Kel-Tec P11

I ended up choosing one as my ccw. I know i had listed the PF9 as an option in my prior post but the price was right and reviews were favorable so I ordered the P11 from Bud's. It was also the only under $400 sub compact I could find in stock right now. I pick it up this Saturday. I will probably get the grip extension, steel guide rod and have the slide Ceracoated. That shouldn't be too much money to put into the gun to make it a little better than stock. I still see a Springfield XDs in my future though.

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JShirley

January 23, 2013, 09:48 AM

You'll get a lot more out of your investment by disassembling it and doing a "fluff and buff". You can then move the trigger pull from horrible- it was my comparison trigger for bad when I shot the ZiP ( http://www.shootingreviews.com/zip-22/) Monday- to "long but acceptable". Then unload, find a safe backstop, put a penny on the slide, and do a controlled dryfire 100x a night.

John

marb4

January 23, 2013, 10:18 AM

The trigger is long and heavy but can be learned. Not a target pistol by any means but more than suitable for its intended purpose. Mine has over 1000 rounds through with no malfunctions. Excellent ccw pistol when you consider is size and capacity. Practice with it a bunch and it will meet your needs.

JFtheGR8

January 23, 2013, 10:24 AM

Yeah, I intend to do a fluff and buff. Isn't there also a steel trigger available to replace the polymer one? I don't want to put more than $100 into it though. With the slide refinish for $50 that doesn't leave much room. It's the blued slide so I'm pretty adamant about getting it redone based off of what others have said.

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JShirley

January 23, 2013, 10:33 AM

The most important things are (1) safe, intelligent practice, and (2) the f&b.

MedWheeler

January 23, 2013, 10:47 AM

Yep. Hang out on www.thektog.com/forum some, there's a lot of good stuff there, as well as instructions on the F&B.

josephbw

January 23, 2013, 10:51 AM

The aluminum trigger shoe from Kel Tec is a very cheap way to improve the feel of the trigger. It just slips over the stock trigger and is held in place by allen screws. Also do the trigger spring mod to reduce the trigger pull by a couple of pounds.

marb4

January 23, 2013, 11:34 AM

I used a heat gun gently on my stock polymer trigger and slowly took some of the "hook" out of it. Greatly improved the feel and cost $0.

Walt Sherrill

January 23, 2013, 11:52 AM

I had a Kel-Tec P11 some years ago, and it was an accurate and reliable weapon. If I had one now, I'd get the trigger shoe and try the various tricks to make the trigger a bit lighter.

I shot mine a lot, but it was one of several guns I shot regularly. It was the gun I carried when I carried, which was infrequently.

I even tried the P-11 in an IDPA match once. On the first string, it took me several shots to readjust to the trigger (I shoot other guns far more often, and hadn't shot the P-11 recently). My first string was a disaster (in elapsed time and misses). I shot it quite well during the rest of the match, and had it not been for the first string, I could have bragged a bit. I got to thinking: if it's not the main gun I shoot at the range, I may have the same problem if I ever have to use it while carrying -- and I don't want to mess up my first two or three shots. I traded it away for a very nice .22 rifle (which I still have and love).

I have NOT had the "first shots" problem with my PF-9, so it's now my most-carried weapon. My first shots with it were often better than subsequent shots, as the recoil and snap took their toll. The folks I've known who carry the P-11 and shoot it regularly don't have the problems I had -- or maybe they're just better with handguns.<grin>

I have also picked up a Kahr CM9 (in trade) which is arguably a better gun, but I keep coming back to the PF-9. (I had a Kahr P-9 which I liked a lot, and loved the trigger, but someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse, and I didn't -- one of the few guns I actually made money on when I sold it.)

I have exchanged messages with Kel-Tec over the years, and last year they said that a P-11 style gun using the PF-9 trigger mechanism was on the drawing board, but said it may be quite some time before we see it. THAT, to me, would be almost ideal: the P11 grip and frame, and the PF-9 trigger (which I find MUCH better than the P11 trigger.)

In the meantime, I'm still waiting for a PMR-30 -- and I'm now using the KTADDONS grip material to help tame the PF-9. (I've used that grip material on a P3AT and Ruger LCP, too.)

Jim NE

January 23, 2013, 12:52 PM

I have a P-11 as my ever day carry. The buffing suggestions are 100% right. Mine wouldn't chamber rounds until I did that. I describe it as a gun that's not as user friendly as other guns. Because of this, some people write it off as junk. They're wrong, but there are some caveats to that.

You need some modifications for the gun to work it's best. The mag extension or the larger capacity mag is necessary for people with larger hands. Accuracy was bad until I did this. Long stiff trigger pull will get better with use.

The P-11, for me, is more reliable with a wide range of ammo brands than most other 9mm's I have, but the gun isn't as durable as my other guns. After 1000 rounds it had to go back to the factory to replace several small worn parts - it got a general refurbish. But others have gone 10,000 rounds without a problem. I've heard that Keltec says the gun has a life of 6000 rounds, so definitely not a range gun to put 100 rounds through every week.

But it's small and more concealable than other guns w/it's cap., so I continue to carry it. Since the refurbish everything is fine. I only shoot it now to make sure it's working properly, though. When it stops doing that, I'll start using another gun.

Walt Sherrill

January 24, 2013, 10:22 AM

I've heard that Keltec says the gun has a life of 6000 rounds...

Most gunmakers, when they'll even offer a "round count" for service life, seem to quote some remarkably low number.

When the small S&W 9mm (an early predecessor of the SW9VE) was first introduced, it supposedly had a comparable life span -- I read 3000 rounds -- but they really last longer. I've heard many complaints about their triggers, but not their reliability.

Kel-Tec's warranty is (now) for the original owner's lifetime -- and they often do free work on used guns, too. If the K-T is NOT your only gun, it can continue to chug along for a long, long time. If it IS your only gun, it's a given that any gun can go South, temporarily, and a backup is worthwhile consideration. I had a trigger return spring break, once, on a Glock 17 -- so even Glock's Perfection <snort> is sometimes imperfect.

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